Beyond Recovery: Towards 2030

Our Evolving Response

Viet Nam reported its first cases of COVID-19 on 23 January 2020. The Prime Minister officially declared a national epidemic on 1 April, announcing nationwide social distancing until 15 April and extending this until 22 April in high and medium risk locations. As of June 2020, Viet Nam has recorded less than 400 cases, with a recovery rate of over 94% and zero deaths so far. No new case of community transmission has been recorded since 17 April, allowing significant easing of social distancing measures. However, regular international flights have not resumed and strict quarantine requirements remain in place. Viet Nam has been commended for its early, low budget, contact tracing, isolation and treatment response which has led to relatively low cases compared with some ASEAN neighbors.

Economic impacts are significant: Manufacturing, tourism, and transport activities fell abruptly during Q1. The immediate economic response and early recovery will be affected by global supply chain shocks, greatly reduced export demand, increased public expenditures and declining revenues. Preliminary Government data for the first six months of 2020 indicates that 30.8 million workers have been impacted, including those losing employment, being required to take leave, having reduced working hours and having reduced incomes.

Poor households and businesses are disproportionately impacted: Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) are facing significant pressures, and poor and ethnic minorities in remote border areas and rural communities reliant on informal and seasonal work and remittances are particularly affected. Farming households in the Mekong Delta are facing a ‘triple threat’ from drought, saltwater intrusion and COVID-19 economic impacts. The Government has established a fiscal stimulus of $7.7 billion for enterprises and a social protection package of $2.6 billion for the recently unemployed, the poor and household businesses. However, this support will not reach many poor and newly poor groups.

UNDP's Offer 2.0

Health crisis support and systems strengthening

UNDP is supporting the Ministry of Health (MOH) by: Undertaking emergency international procurement of PPE on the request of the Government of Viet Nam, as well as a donation of 20,000 high quality surgical masks by UNDP.

Developing an online system for PPE inventory tracking and management.

Partnering with MOH and private enterprises on national standards and quality assurance for scaling national production of essential PPE.

Testing and developing the ecosystem for scaling applied robotics for telemedicine, diagnostics and protecting front line health workers in COVID and highly contagious diseases. The first three in a series of robots have been delivered.

In coordination with WHO, UNDP is supporting MOH to deliver health information and awareness to Ethnic Minorities, people with disabilities (PWD) including 21 videos on key messages in Ethnic Minority and sign languages featured on national television.

MOH in partnership with UNDP launched the official English version of the #GhenCoVy hand-washing Music Video (MV), viewed over 4 million times to date. Revenue generated through this video will be channeled to the CO for COVID-19 response.

Social protection – uprooting inequalities

UNDP is supporting the Government in socio-economic recovery by:

Undertaking an economic impact assessment of COVID-19 on MSMEs and poor households (with UN Women), and the ‘triple threat’ of COVID-19, drought and saltwater intrusion impacts on poor households and enterprises in the Mekong Delta.

Leading the UN COVID-19 Economic Impact Assessment and development of the UN Socio-Economic Response Plan.

Fast tracking cash transfers under the Government’s COVID-19 social protection package and directly supporting cash transfers for vulnerable households and micro businesses in border provinces, including women and ethnic minorities, and cash for work activities for poor households in several provinces.

A further round of COVID-19 impact assessment with MSMEs and poor households and the design and application of real-time poverty assessment tools will provide further information to inform Government policies and social protection assistance.

UNDP has carried out a rapid assessment of COVID-19 impacts on PWDs and is supporting economic security of PWD through training and capacity building for online employment opportunities.

Green resilient economy

UNDP is supporting highly impacted farmers and agricultural cooperatives to recover and build forward better, by: Supporting diversification of markets and green economy.

Providing cash for work activities for poor households that support environmental landscape activities, forest planting, and environmental clean-up activities.

Extending essential training and awareness raising for agricultural cooperatives and SMEs on prevention and management of business risks due to COVID-19, other emergencies and external shocks.

Identifying new and emerging opportunities for Vietnamese businesses and MSMEs, drawing on UNDP’s knowledge and experience working with MSMEs, including studies on COVID-19 impacts, new opportunities and strategies for attracting high quality FDI that engages SMEs in sectoral value chains.

Digital transformation and innovation for speed & scale

UNDP is supporting the Government in their digital transformation by:

Designing a digitalized social security system that will accelerate e-payments and track rapid disbursement of the Government’s COVID-19 social assistance programs. This is part of a program to transform social security e-systems.

Accelerating digital transformation and e-commerce for household businesses, MSMEs and cooperatives, including women, PWD, ethnic minorities, and youth, to return to work safely and to survive and thrive in the COVID-19 new normal and IR 4.0 context.

Organizing an online ‘Hack Covy’ hackathon to source inclusive innovations and technological solutions that support the national COVID-19 response, with AngelHack and Ha Noi Youth Union. Winning innovators are provided with incubation and mentoring support.

Resources

UNDP Viet Nam has developed an initial 9-month support programme to the Government of Viet Nam within the overall UN COVID-19 Socio-Economic Response Plan (SERP) in Viet Nam, including reprogramming where necessary, with a budget of $4.17 million. Further support requests are anticipated.

Programme Area	Required	Available	Gap
Governance: Health crisis support	$660,544	$660,544
Social Protection - uprooting inequality	$1,708,076	$1,428,076	$280,000
Green resilient economy	$931,440	$ 931,440
Digital transformation and innovation - for speed and scale	$333,083	$233,083	100,000
Total	$3,633,143	$3,253,143	$380,000